I've decided to stop posting to this blog and include future garden and travel posts in my mixed media blog at DRAGONFRAGMENTS
I hope some of you will follow me over there and you can always subscribe through the RSS feed services
Thanks to Susan and Spike for your comments.
Susan: Now that Flickr have added the ability to make 'collections' of the sets, I've been sorting my pictures into some sort of order that should make it easier to find what you are interested in (but I warn you, organisation is not my strong point, so it could be a bit like walking into my sewing room)
Spike: I won't be deleting this blog, so hopefully it won't be nicked by spammers.
For anyone thinking of deleting their blog, read this warning first.
I'm not sure how long Blogspot lets a blog sit without postings, might have to pop in now and then with a quick word or two.
Why have I decided to stop posting here?
I think mainly the time involved in keeping more than one blog, I know those of you who post a lot of photos understand the tedious job of getting the html from flickr or waiting for blogger (which never put the pic where you wanted it)
I've decided to make any future travel postings a bit shorter and link them to more photos on flickr for anyone who wants to see more.
So time will tell how it all works out
Finally, thanks to all the gardeners who have been reading and commenting, it's nice to know someone is out there reading. - UPDATE 2014 (yes, I'm still around!) : I've now disabled comments on this blog.
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Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
one blog or two....
If you read my craft blog this is pretty much the same question I posed there....
I've been thinking over the inordinate amount of time I've been spending on the internet, I couldn't imagine giving it up altogether but I somehow need to cut back, and I've been wondering about whether I really need to have two blogs, this one, my so-called gardening blog (which also includes photos from our trips or days out)and my mixed media blog.
The mixed media blog was going to be just about my craft work, and the gardening blog was going to be more home-ish. (just so I don't scare anyone off - I have no intention of ever getting into the really personal soul baring style of writing, I wouldn't be comfortable with it)
But I have been thinking about combining the two blogs I have now and wonder how people feel about it.
Would you, my gardening readers want to move over to the other blog if I combined the two (the mixed media being the one with most hits)
Very often I find the plants I photograph find their way into my artwork or sketchbooks and our trips often include galleries or art shows, so it's hard to draw the line where they cross over.
On the other hand, a few bloggers I follow have been starting new blogs for their different interests...not sure how I feel about that, I do like it when I can read a post about someone's art work one day and see their town the next day, I can get a feel for where their work is coming from and appreciate it more...jumping around from one blog to another it is sometimes hard to keep track of who you are looking at.
So if anyone would like to comment, I'd appreciate your ideas and feelings about combining into one blog which would cover my art work, maybe cutting down (but not out) the length of the travel posts I've been doing and a few shots of what is blooming in the garden at the time.
Links to the mixed media blog are in the right column (and I DO have to start on Matilda again, poor girl got off to a good start but has been neglected)
Wotcha think huh???
I've been thinking over the inordinate amount of time I've been spending on the internet, I couldn't imagine giving it up altogether but I somehow need to cut back, and I've been wondering about whether I really need to have two blogs, this one, my so-called gardening blog (which also includes photos from our trips or days out)and my mixed media blog.
The mixed media blog was going to be just about my craft work, and the gardening blog was going to be more home-ish. (just so I don't scare anyone off - I have no intention of ever getting into the really personal soul baring style of writing, I wouldn't be comfortable with it)
But I have been thinking about combining the two blogs I have now and wonder how people feel about it.
Would you, my gardening readers want to move over to the other blog if I combined the two (the mixed media being the one with most hits)
Very often I find the plants I photograph find their way into my artwork or sketchbooks and our trips often include galleries or art shows, so it's hard to draw the line where they cross over.
On the other hand, a few bloggers I follow have been starting new blogs for their different interests...not sure how I feel about that, I do like it when I can read a post about someone's art work one day and see their town the next day, I can get a feel for where their work is coming from and appreciate it more...jumping around from one blog to another it is sometimes hard to keep track of who you are looking at.
So if anyone would like to comment, I'd appreciate your ideas and feelings about combining into one blog which would cover my art work, maybe cutting down (but not out) the length of the travel posts I've been doing and a few shots of what is blooming in the garden at the time.
Links to the mixed media blog are in the right column (and I DO have to start on Matilda again, poor girl got off to a good start but has been neglected)
Wotcha think huh???
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
aphids
I know the large green bug is a different species to the aphids but as it was the first day of school holidays, it tickled my fancy that Mum had taken the kids out for the day.
"It happens every time I take them out, all they want to do is eat, it costs me a fortune, then they want to bring all their friends....."
"It happens every time I take them out, all they want to do is eat, it costs me a fortune, then they want to bring all their friends....."
Monday, April 09, 2007
Sydney Harbour ferry ride
It's been many years since I've been on a ferry on the harbour, as teenagers we regularly caught the Manly ferry to the beach, hoping for a choppy sea as we passed the heads, bravely sitting outside being washed with spray while the oldies (that's me now!!) sat inside and complained.
So on a dull overcast Sunday afternoon, when we found ourselves at Circular Quay and our car parked across town at Darling Harbour, we decided to catch the ferry across.
Once away from the Quay, the ferry captain gunned it and we left quite a wake for the little boat crossing behind us.
Darling Harbour is on the western side of the Harbour Bridge so we had to go under it, but also had a few other stops on the way, criss crossing the harbour to the northern side then back to the southern side.
The scale of our bridge is only appreciated close up, and this was a great way to see it
This is looking back from the north toward Circular Quay and the Opera House.
The first stop after crossing the harbour is Luna Park, and just before it, under the shadow of the bridge, we pass North Sydney Olympic Pool.
When it opened in 1936 it was hailed as the "wonder pool of Australasia"
It has a lovely art deco fresco of dolphins and ...some sort of bird, which looks like a white cockatoo from the beak, but I can't help thinking a wading bird might be more appropriate, or a seagull? but I'm sure it's a cocky...probably with galoshes.
There is a little about the history on the North Sydney website
Lots of world records have been broken in this pool, but couldn't tell you which because I'm not into sport at all...
The Luna Park site was used as a workshop area when the Harbour Bridge was being built then in 1935 the storage buildings were leased as an amusement park.
There is an interesting history of Luna Park on their website
The apartments behind arrived considerably later which hasn't stopped the residents from complaining about the noise.....gee, if you buy on top of a fun park you'd never expect it to be NOISY, would you???
After leaving the Milsons Point wharf we pass Blues Point with the controversial Blues Point Tower designed by Harry Seidler.
Last year the tower apartment block turned 40 years old and no other building in Sydney has been more despised or criticised, and what does Harry Seidler say about this criticism - quote:
"It doesn't worry me that people have criticised the building," he says. "What do you expect from illiterate people? They're insensitive and uneducated so why should I take that seriously?"
(I'm tempted to say 'up yours Harry' but that would only prove his point wouldn't it)
The Blues Point area of North Sydney was named after another controversial character, convict Billy Blue, who ran a ferry boat service across the harbour in 1831 - not a ferry as we know them today, he rowed his customers across, and continued to do so until in his 80's.
Old Billy Blue is a twig on a distant branch of my family tree, my gt.grandmother's first husband was the grandson of Billy Blue - I'm descended from her 2nd husband so can't claim old Bill as my own, but I've researched his history and have made a web page about him here
At this point we cross back to the southern side of the harbour, passing the mouth of the Parramatta River
A stop at Darling Street Wharf at Balmain East, then past Illoura Reserve at Peacock Point on the tip of the Balmain peninsular. Across the water you can see the triangular span of the Anzac Bridge at Pyrmont.
As we head into Darling Harbour, we pass the National Maritime Museum.
On permanent display is HMAS Onslow, an Oberon class submarine, destroyer HMAS Vampire, not sure which ship has the tall mast in this picture, it could be the Endeavor replica, the James Craig is usually here, but it was moored at another wharf this day.
As we pull into the Darling Harbour wharf, we pass the new Sydney Wildlife World, under this dome are housed 6000 furry, scaly, hairy and spiky creatures, all conveniently packed for the busy tourist, who wants to pat a koala, but not leave town to do it.
This is the busy side where most of the passengers leave, but we stay put and across Darling Harbour *again* (didn't we just come this way I ask, but he says not) and we leave at the Casino wharf, no one getting off here looks like a big spender, but I guess the high rollers don't arrive by ferry.
Our little ferry stays at the wharf just long enough for us to walk around and talk this shot of it starting the return trip:
Across the road to the Sushi Star for a good Japanese meal and home
So on a dull overcast Sunday afternoon, when we found ourselves at Circular Quay and our car parked across town at Darling Harbour, we decided to catch the ferry across.
Once away from the Quay, the ferry captain gunned it and we left quite a wake for the little boat crossing behind us.
Darling Harbour is on the western side of the Harbour Bridge so we had to go under it, but also had a few other stops on the way, criss crossing the harbour to the northern side then back to the southern side.
The scale of our bridge is only appreciated close up, and this was a great way to see it
This is looking back from the north toward Circular Quay and the Opera House.
The first stop after crossing the harbour is Luna Park, and just before it, under the shadow of the bridge, we pass North Sydney Olympic Pool.
When it opened in 1936 it was hailed as the "wonder pool of Australasia"
It has a lovely art deco fresco of dolphins and ...some sort of bird, which looks like a white cockatoo from the beak, but I can't help thinking a wading bird might be more appropriate, or a seagull? but I'm sure it's a cocky...probably with galoshes.
There is a little about the history on the North Sydney website
Lots of world records have been broken in this pool, but couldn't tell you which because I'm not into sport at all...
The Luna Park site was used as a workshop area when the Harbour Bridge was being built then in 1935 the storage buildings were leased as an amusement park.
There is an interesting history of Luna Park on their website
The apartments behind arrived considerably later which hasn't stopped the residents from complaining about the noise.....gee, if you buy on top of a fun park you'd never expect it to be NOISY, would you???
After leaving the Milsons Point wharf we pass Blues Point with the controversial Blues Point Tower designed by Harry Seidler.
Last year the tower apartment block turned 40 years old and no other building in Sydney has been more despised or criticised, and what does Harry Seidler say about this criticism - quote:
"It doesn't worry me that people have criticised the building," he says. "What do you expect from illiterate people? They're insensitive and uneducated so why should I take that seriously?"
(I'm tempted to say 'up yours Harry' but that would only prove his point wouldn't it)
The Blues Point area of North Sydney was named after another controversial character, convict Billy Blue, who ran a ferry boat service across the harbour in 1831 - not a ferry as we know them today, he rowed his customers across, and continued to do so until in his 80's.
Old Billy Blue is a twig on a distant branch of my family tree, my gt.grandmother's first husband was the grandson of Billy Blue - I'm descended from her 2nd husband so can't claim old Bill as my own, but I've researched his history and have made a web page about him here
At this point we cross back to the southern side of the harbour, passing the mouth of the Parramatta River
A stop at Darling Street Wharf at Balmain East, then past Illoura Reserve at Peacock Point on the tip of the Balmain peninsular. Across the water you can see the triangular span of the Anzac Bridge at Pyrmont.
As we head into Darling Harbour, we pass the National Maritime Museum.
On permanent display is HMAS Onslow, an Oberon class submarine, destroyer HMAS Vampire, not sure which ship has the tall mast in this picture, it could be the Endeavor replica, the James Craig is usually here, but it was moored at another wharf this day.
As we pull into the Darling Harbour wharf, we pass the new Sydney Wildlife World, under this dome are housed 6000 furry, scaly, hairy and spiky creatures, all conveniently packed for the busy tourist, who wants to pat a koala, but not leave town to do it.
This is the busy side where most of the passengers leave, but we stay put and across Darling Harbour *again* (didn't we just come this way I ask, but he says not) and we leave at the Casino wharf, no one getting off here looks like a big spender, but I guess the high rollers don't arrive by ferry.
Our little ferry stays at the wharf just long enough for us to walk around and talk this shot of it starting the return trip:
Across the road to the Sushi Star for a good Japanese meal and home
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Water Hyacinth
According to the CSIRO the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) native of the upper Amazon, is one of the worlds' worst aquatic weeds, forming a dense mat that can double in size in a few weeks, totally clogging waterways.
It was first noticed in Australia about 1890, probably brought in as an aquarium plant and has now spread to all states.
In the 1970's and again in 1980's biological controls were introduced with the release of a variety of weevil and a moth which has worked well in sub tropical areas of the eastern states, and another weevil species was released in the 1990's.
The plant shown here is growing in my frog pond, I have to thin it several times during the summer growing season, the roots form a big thick fibrous clump under the water.
It is probably something I shouldn't grow, but then that could be said of most of our introduced garden plants.
I make sure the discarded plants go into the compost bin, and cut the flower heads after flowering. As we are not close to a waterway and have no run off I grow it simply because I like the flowers.
It was first noticed in Australia about 1890, probably brought in as an aquarium plant and has now spread to all states.
In the 1970's and again in 1980's biological controls were introduced with the release of a variety of weevil and a moth which has worked well in sub tropical areas of the eastern states, and another weevil species was released in the 1990's.
The plant shown here is growing in my frog pond, I have to thin it several times during the summer growing season, the roots form a big thick fibrous clump under the water.
It is probably something I shouldn't grow, but then that could be said of most of our introduced garden plants.
I make sure the discarded plants go into the compost bin, and cut the flower heads after flowering. As we are not close to a waterway and have no run off I grow it simply because I like the flowers.
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